How Houston Is Becoming America’s Next Dense City

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by JManc

You would think the residents would want the city to fix all that.

Yup. Considering what the COH did to my street in Montrose when I had a house there years ago. Scraped the street down and repaved it. New curbs. New driveway cut outs and approaches, new sewer pipes and sewer connections.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by jd3189

Someone long ago once said that it could become the American version of Bangkok, Manila, or any of those large South Asian cities. Maybe not full blown, but I can see it in a few of these pics.

I would LOVE to see parts of Houston become "Tokyo-ish." Never going to happen, though.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

from your 1st and 3rd examples, i think we might just have different standards for what constitutes a "decently walkable neighborhood retail street". i totally understand that "houston is houston", my point was simply that its lackluster neighborhood commercial streets are perhaps the biggest thing hurting the city's overall urbanism image.

something like this is MUCH closer to my standard of a decently walkable neighborhood retail street: https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6627...7i13312!8i6656

your 2nd example is much more what i was thinking. according to google maps, it's just outside of montrose's borders, hence why i didn't find it. it's only one block long for now, but a good start none-the-less. if houston can continue extending neighborhood retail street corridors with more development like that, then its increases in residential density will be much more meaningful.

The pictures speak for themselves. Nobody is walking in them.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by Crawford

Houston isn't becoming denser

The core of the city, which I first moved into in 1979, is absolutely getting denser. And it is a direct consequence of policies adopted and implemented by the City beginning in the '90s. To deny this is just ignorance.

[bilbao58]

Anyway who can look at this photo and still say this city hasn't changed and isn't continuing to change has no clue whatsoever.

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IMG_0907
by Andrew Rebman, on Flickr

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

I actually agree. Those driveways, and hundreds more of similar layout around town are a total pain in the ass, but the palm trees kind of amazing, especially in person, and the houses do illustrate the row house (or almost) trend.

Houston should plant palm trees all over the place like Galveston is doing. Galveston is starting to look like a proper subtropical coastal city.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Will O' Wisp

I'm surprised this thread has gone on for so long without anyone posting Houston/LA's actual density statistics.



As of the last census LA is much, much denser than Houston. To the point that people living 30 miles away from LA city hall are on average living in a significantly denser area than people living just over a mile from Houston's CBD.



Even in comparison to other sun belt metros Houston lacks overall density. Cities famed for their sprawl like Las Vegas, Houston, and Riverside all outweigh Houston's density. Houston isn't even the densest metro in Texas (El Paso is).

So yeah, Houston may be improving but it still has a long way to go...

The vast majority of density has been added this decade, so 10 year old numbers are meaningless.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Houston should plant palm trees all over the place like Galveston is doing. Galveston is starting to look like a proper subtropical coastal city.

You mean like this? There are palm trees all over the place, actually.


palms by bill barfield, on Flickr

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

the vast majority of density has been added this decade, so 10 year old numbers are meaningless.

exactly

[Steely Dan]

houston's live oaks are millions of times cooler than those silly palm trees.

and they actually cast meaningful shade to boot.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

houston's live oaks are millions of times cooler than those silly palm trees.

and they actually cast meaningful shade to boot.

I'm tree-illiterate, so I don't know what these are, but a lot of them are being planted lately. Live Oaks are great but they're hell on streets and especially sidewalks.


The Water Works. Buffalo Bayou Park. by bill barfield, on Flickr

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

Live Oaks are great but they're hell on streets and especially sidewalks.

who cares, they're absolutely magnificent.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7450...7i16384!8i8192

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

You mean like this? There are palm trees all over the place, actually.


palms by bill barfield, on Flickr

Yes more of that. Houston's climate can support conifers, temperate and subtropical plants. It has the potential to be a lush subtropical garden city, but I feel like aesthetic considerations are an afterthought in a lot of places.

[jd3189]

I never thought of Houston as a palm tree city. I know it’s next to the bayou wetlands, so it makes sense, but it represents Texas, and I never got the idea that Texas was tropical or Mediterranean. But Texas is big enough to be whatever the hell it wants, as the Lone Star State

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

who cares

People who don't like having to walk in the street with their kids in strollers.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by jd3189

I never got the idea that Texas was tropical

Hmmmm...lemme see. Fifth longest coastline in the Lower 48 and second most southern state...

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

People who don't like having to walk in the street with their kids in strollers.

sidewalk repair: $800

the centuries-long majesty of a live oak: priceless

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

sidewalk repair: $800

the centuries-long majesty of a live oak: priceless

I'm not arguing. I took these photos just days ago.


Rice University by bill barfield, on Flickr


Winter Morning by bill barfield, on Flickr


Tolerance sculptures by bill barfield, on Flickr

ETA: You'll be happy to know they even planted them along the Post Oak Boulevard BRT line.


‘Tis the Season by bill barfield, on Flickr

[jd3189]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

Hmmmm...lemme see. Fifth longest coastline in the Lower 48 and second most southern state...

I guess. Being used to Florida, I always considered it the most tropical state in the South. Texas to me was more Southwestern, with cactus growing everywhere, cowboys running through the plains, etc. But I’ve made that mistake with California, thinking it was just all LA, mountains next to a desert, movie stars, etc.

I suppose when it comes to the bigger states, the cities can take on different characteristics that also adds to the state’s overall diverse identity.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by jd3189

I never thought of Houston as a palm tree city. I know it’s next to the bayou wetlands, so it makes sense, but it represents Texas, and I never got the idea that Texas was tropical or Mediterranean. But Texas is big enough to be whatever the hell it wants, as the Lone Star State

It's not Mediterranean but there's plenty of sun, plenty of rain, fertile soil and no frost. It can really become one of the great tree cities in the country. You can find a lot of streets like this where you'll feel like you're in a mixed forest of pines, oaks and palms: https://goo.gl/maps/x6V5Av4pMhoRF9Nh8. Not the best neighborhood but you get the point.

Those pictures bilbao posted with the bare palm trees coming straight out of the grass or sidewalk isn't the best look. They really should be layered with smaller trees, shrubs and ground cover. With a little care those streets can look more like this: https://goo.gl/maps/5JYae7FiywMHBMwf9. Galveston is on the right track: https://goo.gl/maps/XX3JpyC8j5o9LLgc6. When those palm trees mature and grow to 50-60 feet that's going to be a great looking street.